Electric iron having a supporting mechanism



y 1949. B. COOPER ET.AL

ELECTRIC IRON HAVING A SUPPORTING MECHANISM 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed April28, 1947 lNl EN TORS BENJAMIN COOPER ALBERT/. HOHMANN' ATTORNEY May 3,1949'. B. COOPER ET AL ELECTRIC IRON HAVING A SUPPORTING MECHANISMFiled: April 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v /Nl EN7'O/?$ BENJAM/N COOPERALBERT E HOHMANN ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1949 ELECTRIC IRON HAVING ASUPPORTING MECHANISM Benjamin Cooper, New York, N. Y., and Albert F.

Hohmann, Teaneck, N. J.; said Hohmann assignor to said CooperApplication April 28, 1947, Serial No. 744,304

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric irons and the like in combinationwith retractable supporting means therefore.

An object of this invention is to provide in combination with anelectric iron or the like, improved retractable means for supporting theiron on a surface so that its heating surface is out of contact withsaid surface when the iron is not in use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a device of thecharacter described, improved retractable support means which may bereadily moved into supporting or non-supporting positions.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of thecharacter described, retractable support means which is pivotallymounted on the device in a manner which permits movement of the supportmeans with a minimum amount of effort.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a device of thecharacter described, pivoted supportin means mounted on either side ofthe device and having means resiliently connected with said supportingmeans which urges the movement of said supporting means into operativeor inoperative positions by movement of the device while holding same byits handle, with respect to a supporting surface. 7

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of thecharacter described, pivoted supporting means mounted on the device insuch a manner as to be readily rotated into supporting position bymovement of the device itself into a predetermined position with respectto a base surface. The supporting means may be retracted into anon-supporting position by manipulating the device into anotherpredetermined position with respect to said base surface.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a compact and ruggedironing device in combination with retractable supporting meanstherefore which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, sure andpositive in operation and practical and efficient to a high degree inuse.

Other objects of this invention will be in part be obvious and inparthereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists in thefeatures of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructionhereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will beindicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possibleillustrative embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an iron embodying the inventionand showing it in its supported position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of iron in its unsupported positionwith parts cut away to show the support actuating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 butshowing the supporting legs in a projected position and Fig. 5 is afront elevational view of the details of the leg support actuatingmechanism showing the leg support in its projected position.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates an iron embodyingthe invention. The same comprises a casing II which contains the usualheating element not shown, a sole plate 12 which is heated by theheating element and is secured to the lower portion of the casing, a topplate I 3 secured to the upper portion of the casing and a handle Hisecured to theupper face of the top plate l3.

The casing ll comprises an upwardly inclined top wall [5 of conventionaltriangular shape, from which a pair of side walls l6 extend downwardlyand outwardly toward the sole plate l2. The walls It converge towardseach other at their fore portions to form the apex portion l6a of theiron. The walls iii are formed with openings Ifib for the purposehereinafter described. A rear wall I! extends downwardly and is inclinedoutwardly from the top wall i5 and interconnects the side walls Hi. Thesole plate l2 which is generally triangular in shape and comprises sideedges [8 and a rear edge 19 is secured to the bottom portion of thecasing H in a manner well known in the art. The rear edge [9 of the soleplate I2 is spaced from the rear wall ll of casing ll, thereby formingan opening 2i? of generally rectangular shape.

Secured to a foreward portion of the inner surface of the wall l5 of thecasing by rivets, welding or the like and extending towards the sidewalls I6 is a bracket 2|. The same comprises a web 2'2 contacting thewall l5 and outwardly and downwardly inclined flanges 23, 23a which arespaced from and substantially parallel to the adjacent side walls l6 ofthe casing. The flanges 23, 23a are formed with through openings 24aligned with openings l 6b in the walls I 6, for the purpose hereinafterdescribed. Secured to a rear portion means of rivets, welding or thelike.

3 of the under side of wall I5 and parallel to the bracket 2|, is abracket Z5 which comprises a web 26 and depending flanges 21 which areformed with aligned openings 28. Mounted in the openings 28 is atransverse pivot pin 28 extending parallel to the top wall iii of thecasing and formed with headed end portions 29a to retain the pin againstlongitudinal movement. Secured on the pivot pin 23, exteriorly of theflanges 21, is a pivoted member 38 which comprises a rear wall 3|extending parallel to the pivot pin 29 and at right angles thereto apair of parallel arms 32 formed with aligned openings 32a for receivingthe pin 23. The arms-'32 extend rearwardly towards the rear wall ll ofthe casing The arms 32 comprise curved downwardly extending rearportions 33 which project through the opening 28 and extend slightlybelow the lower edge of wall ll as shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the wall3| and member 34 is a substantially U- :shaped member 34. The member 34comprises 'a =wal l 35 which is substantially coextensive with wall 3|of member 38 and is secured'thereto by The member 34 further comprises apair of parallel lever arms 36 extending at right angles from wall 33towards the bracket 2!. The end portions of :arms 33 are formed withteeth 3? for the purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted in the opening 24 of flange 23 of bracket 2| and in the openingiiib of the adjacent wall H3 is a transverse pivot pin 38. Secured'onthe pin 38 and lying between the flan e 23 and the wall it is a helicalgear 39 which meshes with the teeth 3? on the adjacent arm 36 of member34. The outer end of pivot pin 38 extends through the wall It and isformed with a reduced end portion 39 to which is received a supportingleg 48. The supporting leg 48 comprises an upper portion 4| formed withan opening-4'2 toreceive the reduced end portion 38 of pin 38. Extendingfrom upper portion 4| of arm '48 is an outwardly curved and offsetportion 42 which is adapted to clear the edge l8 of sole plate l2 inspaced relationship thereto when in the position shown in Fig. 4. Thelength of arm '48 is such as to raise the sole plate 12 with respect toan ironing base surface 48a when the arms is extended in the positionshown in'Figs. 1 and 4.

.Mounted in the opening 24 of flange 23a and v the opening it?) ofadjacent wall I6, is a transverse pivot pin 43. Mounted on the pivot pin43 and lying between the flange 23a and the wall I6 is a helical gear 39similar to that previously described and which also meshes with theteeth 31 on the other arm 36 of member 34. The outer end of pin 43extends through the wall l8 and has mounted thereon a supporting arm 48similar :to that previously described. The inner end of pin 43 extendsthrough the opening in flange 23a and is provided with a collar 44 whichspaces a circular disk 45 mounted on the pin 43, from the inner side ofthe flange 23a. The disk 45 has a part of its circumferential portionformed with'a peripheral notch 46 which provides shoulderiportions Al,48 on either end thereof. The shoulders 41 and 48 are adapted to contactthe side portions of web 22 of bracket 2| upon'rota- .tional movement ofthe disk 45 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively.The disk '45 is provided with an anchor post 49 secured to a peripheralouter portion adjacent the :shoulder' 48. The wall 35 of member 34 isprovided with a hook 50. A coiled tension spring 5| has one end securedto the hook 50 and the other end secured on anchor post 49.

When using the iron the supporting legs 40 are in their retractedposition lying along the side walls it as shown in Fig. 2. When it isdesired to raise the heated sole plate I2 out of contact with theironing surface 430 the iron 'is'tilted while holding the handle l4 inthe usual manner, using the rear edge IQ of the sole plate 52 as afulcrum thereby bringing the apex portion |5a upwardly andsimultaneously bringing the rear portions 33 of the pivoted member 33into contact with the ironing surface 48a. Continued tilting movement ofthe iron causes the portions 33 of the arms '32 to press against thesurface 48a thereby causing the pivoted member 38 to rotate about :thepivot pin 28- in a clockwise direction, which in turn causes the teeth3'! on arms 38 to rotate the gears 39 in a counterclockwise direction.The movement of the gears 38 as indicated, rotates the associatedsupporting .legs 45] also-in a counterclockwise direction towards othersupporting positions as shown in Figs. 1 and l. It will be apparent froma consideration of Figs. 2 and 5, that as soon as the arms 36 havecaused the gears 38 to rotate to a position which brings the anchor post49 on the-as'sociateddisk 45 to a point slightly above the axis of theinner endof pivot pin 43, the tension of spring 5| will causeaccelerated rotational movement of the supporting legs 48 in acounterclockwise direction to their final operative position. The finalposition of the :arms 48 is determined by the stop action of shoulder 48on disk 45 as it bears against the edge of web 22 of bracket 2|. In thisposition the iron is tilted back so that his supported with-respect tothe surface Mia-by the endportion 33-of arms 32, the rear edge l9-of thesole plate l9 and the arms '48 extending substantially at right anglesto the Walls l6 of the casing.

When it is desired to retract the legs48 to-such a position asto permitthe normaluse of the iron, it'ls only necessary to tilt the ironforward, using the end portions of the legs 48 as a fulcrum, until thelegs pass through a position-vertical with respect to the ironingsurface 48a. The ir'on'is then pressed in a direction towards theironing surface 48a which initiates rotational'movem'ent'ofthe pivotedlegs-48 in a clockwise direction about'plv- -ot pins 38, 43.Continuedmovement of the legs 48 will bring the gears'39 and the disk'45into a position wherein the anchor post 4931s below the axis ofthe-pivot 43. At this point, the tension of spring 5! will accelerate"the movement of the gears 38 and the associated legs 40 un't'il theshoulder 4"! on the disk 45 abuts the edge ofsthe web 22 of bracket 2Simultaneously, "the movement of the legs '48 causes thecounterclockwise movement of the arms 36 through the gears. 39 and theengaging teeth 37 on arms 36, thereby pivoting the arms '32 about pin 29"to bring the end portions-33 of the arms :32 into their originalposition as shown in Fig. 2.

The use of the helical gears 39 on the inclined pivot pins 38, 43'permits Lproper engagement of the lever arms 36 therewith during thepivoted movement of the lever arms.

It will .beapparent that the movement ofpositioning legs 48 from theirnon-supportingto'supporting positions and vice versa may be accomplishedwith one hand holding the iron in the usual manner and requires-aminimum am'oun-t of effort inasmuch as the spring 51 is adapted to causea major portion ofthe necessary rotational movement of the legs.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. An iron comprising a casing, said casing comprising outwardlyinclined side walls, a top Wall and a rear wall, a sole plate on thebottom portion of said casing, the said sole plate terminating short ofsaid rear wall thereby providing an opening between said rear wall andan edge of said sole plate, a flanged bracket seamed to the innersurface of said top wall, the flanges of said bracket extending inparallel, spaced arrangement to said side walls, an inwardly anddownwardly inclined pivot pin mounted on each of said flanges and saidadjacent side walls, said pins projecting through said side walls,supporting legs secured to the projecting portions of said pins, anddisposed outside of said casing, helical gear means mounted on each ofsaid pins between said flanges and said side walls, a pair of leversfixed to each other and pivotally mounted within said casing, one endportion of each of said levers being formed with gear means meshing withan adjacent helical gear, the other ends of said levers being formedwith end portions projecting through said opening.

2. A device of the character described comprising a. casing, said casingcomprising a, pair of side walls and a bottom wall, a supporting legpivotally mounted on each of said side walls, and adapted in oneposition to maintain said device'i'n a tilted position with respect to abase surface, means within said casing for causing said supporting legsto rotate towards and away from said position, said means comprising arotatable disk on a pivotal portion of one of said supporting legs, stopmeans on said disk to limit rotation of said disk through apredetermined angle, and spring means fixed at one end within the saidcasing and secured at its other end to said disk whereby initialrotational movement of said disk on either side of a line connectingsaid fixed point and the axis of rotation of said disk will impartcontinued rotational movement of said disk towards the limits ofmovement of said disk.

BENJAMIN COOPER. ALBERT F. HOI-IMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 30 2,029,948 Schwartz Feb. 4,1936 2,422,505 Tangemann et al. June 17, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 30,475 Denmark Oct. 23, 1922

